Repurposed Glass Jars with Decorative Paper

Don’t these repurposed jars look lovely with fresh tulips?! I am willing spring time to be here soon!

There are so many ways you can repurpose glass jars. You may already have some jars you plan to recycle. Or maybe you have some in your pantry or refrigerator that could soon be re-used once it’s empty. The glass jars I repurposed used to contain pasta sauce, salsa, and jam.

I decided to decorate them with scrap book paper, ribbon, string and buttons. All items I already had in the house.

Here’s how I made my decorative jars:

I first picked out my scrap book paper. It’s from the same pack I used for my 3D heart project.

I then went searching for some embellishments to make the overall design more fun and interesting. The small white rope-like string is from an old gift bag handle. The white ribbon is from a different gift bag handle. The brown stretchy cord was from an unused eye mask. The buttons – I have lots of extra buttons. I may not be able to sew but I can at least do a minor stitch to secure a button.

I cut each paper into the height I wanted and also made the width sized to fit around the jars. I secured the paper onto the glass jars using Mod Podge. You could simply use glue on the ends which was my original plan. I decided to use Mod Podge instead to have a more finished look. It’s an all-in-one sealer, glue and finish. This was my first time using Mod Podge (or any kind decoupage glue ). I have a more involved project coming in a future post. So this was the perfect small project to practice my decoupage skills.

I first applied Mod Podge on the back of the paper and also on the area of the glass jar the paper was going to be placed. I placed the paper onto the jar carefully and smoothed it out. I waited 15 minutes for it to dry. I applied Mod Podge on the top of the paper (already dry and secured to the glass)…waited again 15 minutes for it to dry. I then put another coat of Mod Podge. Overall, the project was quick and simple. The drying time was what made the overall time to complete long. I’d say this was a first time Mod Podge success!

(Side Note: If you want to learn more about Mod Podge, I highly recommend watching the Mod Podge Rocks tutorial videos. They…well rock! It helped me get the know-how and confidence to try it.)

Clippings on my Inspiration Board for this projectI must tell you about all the projects that inspired me and some I may do in future related glass jar projects. For example, wrap jars in yarn, jute, beads OR how about covering using a piece of a sweater? All beautiful and inspiring creations!

I have tried mod pog. I put some on the glass and applied the glass to the image I was using. Unfortunately the image was milky and not clear. I tried again with another image, see tiny bubbles. I push hard to smooth out the bubbles but nothing works. Im going to try E-6000 to see if it works, But mod pog im very disappointed in it with all the claims it has.

Hi Janice – Sorry you’re having issues with Mod Podge. I’ve never had a problem with it looking milky and have used it on many projects. It always dries clear. Each layer of Mod Podge I apply is thin and I wait for it to dry completely (about 15 minutes) before applying another layer. Good luck with your future projects.